Attaching High Current Supply to PCB...

[adamey]

I'm building a project that will control power to several devices that will draw anywhere from 5-10A each for a total of about 30-40A continuous, but peak could be 60A. Supply wire would be 10 gauge. I'm using PCB mount relays to switch the loads and will use bus bars to distribute the power from relay to relay instead of relying on the PCB traces.

What I want to know is a good way to attach my main power feed to my PCB.

 

[canadaelk]

Keystone has a varity pc mountable screwterminals. Alternately, crimp the wire onto a ring connector and use a #10 screw, lockwasher and nut. 1/4 quick connects are rated to only 15-20 Amps and could be usefull after the switching. E

 

[PCBWING]

I would like to add: PCB copper thickness must be increased.

 

[Sceadwian]

Umm, PCBWING, the original poster mentioned immediately that they were using bus bars (smart I might add) for the actual conductor.

I'd use screw terminals for connection as already mentioned, if they weren't ment to be touched for a long period of time I'd solder them, in that kind of situation corrosion is your worst enemy, multi conductor wire will wick liquids and provide ample surface area for corrosion infiltration. I've seen 00 wire of ten feet or more become solid as a rock as it corrodes. Corrosion products increase surface area of nearly exponentially so if there's enough internal space to fit it, it will form a capillary system that will draw even ambient moisture up into the length of the cable, but because of the insulator it won't let it out, it's almost like a pump over time.

Over time this can even be a problem with laminated bus bar systems. To go extreme you either solder (if the temperature range allows) or weld the actual final electrical connections, or just do basic upkeep. Any joint exposed to air is instantly a fail point, if it's air permeable.